More Than a Want
by SciFiGeek14
Summary: What happens when the Doctor's deepest desire becomes a dangerous need? Au/Post Doomsday, Rose Reunion. Rose/10 spoliers for doomsday, but I hope you have seen that already
1. Chapter One

**More Than a Want**

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Doctor Who.  
Summary: What happens when The Doctor's deepest desire becomes a dangerous need?AU/ Post Doomsday, rose reunion fic. Rose/10

Chapter One

It'd been nearly a month since the Doctor had lost Rose and he was still alone. He spent his days under the console fiddling and playing with the settings on the Sonic Screwdrivers. He spent his nights lying in Rose's bed, smelling the sheets and staring at the ceiling, not sleeping. He missed her more than anything. He hadn't left the TARDIS since he'd dropped off Donna. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to feel the emptiness, the hole in his hearts. The loss of her presence, his yearning for her voice and her smile, was becoming a physical ache.

He wondered when he had become like this. When had Rose's scent become as necessary to him as air? Her touch necessary to sustain proper brain function? A wire shocked him and he didn't flinch. He had become numb to all feeling, physical and emotional. It was as if a part of his soul were missing. As he crawled out from under the grating he wondered if she was feeling the same depression he was. Most of him hoped that she was coping better he was, but a small part of him, the selfish part of him, hoped that she felt them same because if she didn't, it meant that she didn't actually mean what she said to him on Bad Wolf Bay. Rose knew what she was saying when she said, "I love you." She knew the implications. She wouldn't say it if she didn't mean it, which meant she was feeling the same as he was. This made him feel even worse.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as he noticed that his slightly psychic paper had fallen off the console and on to the floor. With a sigh he reached down to pick it up. When it fell it had opened at the Doctor nearly closed it without look at it, but luckily he caught sight of the message it held out of the corner of his eye. His curiosity got the best of him and he brought it up to eye level to read the writing there.

"Help required. Please come."

The Doctor sighed. Help, was the one word he could never refuse. Even in his advanced state of Timelord lethargy he began setting the TARDIS to trace the psychic return signal on the message. Once it had read the signal and set its coordinates, they were off.

Not five minutes later the TARDIS landed with a heavy _**thud!**_ Even the TARDIS seemed to be working less efficiently without Rose, or maybe it was just because the Doctor had spent the last month playing around with her insides. The Doctor pulled himself up from where he had landed and took the TARDIS out of gear and into park.

"I'll be back soon girl." He told the TARDIS, shrugged on his brown coat, and walked out the door. Once outside he just stood there, taking in his surroundings. He found himself on a dirty street corner, surrounded by dirty, one-story shops and houses. There were a few people scattered about. They were talking, look in shop windows, and carrying packages wrapped in paper. They weren't as dirty as the street but they appeared to be getting close. Wherever he was had fallen on some hard times recently. He took a deep breath, trying to get a feel for the atmosphere.

"The air is full of dust! Smell that? " He asked Rose. Then he realized what he had just done, "No, of course you don't. You're in a different dimension, how could you smell that?" He shook his head and pushed off down the street.

Suddenly a man came running down the street. Everyone who was about, meaning four or five, stopped what they were doing and looked up at him. He stopped in the middle of the street and after catching he breath he looked at the small throng that had gathered and shouted,

"He's coming this way. Come and join the revolution! Do not fear change!"

Everyone was frozen for a second, and then the street dwellers began panicking. The Doctor picked up some of what they were saying.

"Get in side!"

"They're coming! Hide!"

"Listen to me not him!"

It didn't sound like any of them were a fan of the revolution. The man who had made the announcement shook his head in disappointment and began running down the street again. The Doctor stopped a man who was trying to get inside a building but fumbling with his keys.

"Excuse me, but what's happening?" The Doctor asked him.

"Didn't you hear?" He asked, "It's Ratitian and his gang. They're planning to try to take over the world capital, _today!_"

"And the world capital is where exactly?"

"You from another planet? It's right up the street. Just follow that running non-conformist."

"Thank you!"

"Yeah, you're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Oh right, yes, sorry! Go back to running and hiding." The man successfully opened the door, snuck inside, and slammed it in the Doctor's face. "Right then!" The Doctor stated and took off down the street.

As he walked he noticed that the houses were getting steadily bigger and at the end of the street he found a large mansion surrounded by a gate. Undoubtedly the world capital building, however the Doctor had been expecting much more security, what with a budding revolution on they're hands. The gate that surrounded the large building had a lock and keypad but it wasn't very tall. He could have climbed it if he had wanted to. That was mostly likely what Ratitian and his gang planned on doing. Luckily, the Doctor had his trusty sonic screwdriver because he did not feel like wrinkling his suit, not today.

**Notes: Well? What do you think? please review. Not sure about the title, it might change so look out for it.**


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter 2**

The Doctor entered the building and flashed his psychic paper at anyone who looked at him. Most of them didn't care and seemed to be frantically trying to escape out the exit. One man pointed him in the direction of the main office of the World Leader and then ran out before the Doctor could even say thanks.

He knocked twice on the big wooden door. So he knocked again, three times. There was still no reply. Luckily, it was unlocked because the sonic didn't work on wood, and he walked in. The Doctor found himself in a large well-furnished room, not unlike the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street.

The Room also contained a short, slightly balding man with a mustache similar to that of Adolph Hitler. It was a poor fashion choice for a world leader but in all fairness to him this wasn't Earth. He was franticly packing suitcases with papers and what appeared to be oranges or possibly satsumas. The Doctor merely shrugged and accepted this. Who was he to judge? It was then that the world leader noticed the Doctor.

"You're here already!?" He exclaimed, "Alright then, name your charges, or are you just going to shoot me? Where's you gang of revolutionaries anyway?"

"Oh! No, I'm not with the revolution." The Doctor said putting his hands up, "Look, I'm alone. I'm not bugged or anything. No guns, just this." He pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver and held it out.

"What's that?"

"Sonic Screwdriver."

"Is it a weapon?"

"Nope!"

"What _does _it do?"

"Well, its very good at opening doors. I'm the Doctor by the way."

"Sir Perry Vexalion Leader of Messaline. Who _exactly_ are you Doctor?"

"I'm help."

"Its a little to late for that. The only thing I can do now is get out alive. If you want to help, you can help me pack."

"Messaline, hmm, underground war right?" The Doctor asked trying to fill in his history as Sir Perry continued his packing.

"We haven't had a war in two hundred years; not since our founding fathers back in the first week of our settlement here." Sire Perry informed him with a confused frown.

"Oh right sorry. Sometimes I'm a couple...hundred years off."

"If you were there you're a lot older than you look."

"No, but I'd like to get there someday. I'm curious as to how two races had a war and resolved it in under a week. What about the Hath? They still around?"

"Yes, but their population is endangered by the lack of freshwater available. I've been working to fix it, but after this season's Zentle crops failed some, well, most of the population blamed me. I've been trying to buy time until I can find a solution, but the revolution wouldn't wait. Like I said, I'm just trying to get out of here alive."

"Yeah revolutions can get messy. I've been to a bunch of them. The worst was the French Revolution. You couldn't turn the corner without someone shouting, 'off with his head!'"

"Well, let us hope it doesn't come to that." He said nervously straightening his collar and latching his now packed suit case.

"What you need is a Terraforming Device." The Doctor said remembering a lesson back from the academy on Gallifrey.

"A what? Well, I don't know about _that_, but there is always, The Giver."

* * *

**Note: Okay, you got me. How could the Doctor have been to Messaline if this is right after Runaway Bride? So I went back and fixed the Discontinuity. I liked the Doctor's witty banter in the other one better, but sometimes we must all make sacrifices. Like in Doomsday. **

**Reading back over Chapter One I realized that the part where I mention Donna might cause confusion. This story takes place after Runaway Bride NOT after Journey's End. =) R&R please. =) **


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter 3**

**Note to Reader:** Ok, I'm back! Thanks for waiting I was having major writer's block.

* * *

"'The Giver'?" The Doctor repeated curious, "Okay, you've peeked my interest and engaged my curiosity. What is a Giver?"

"Not a Giver, _The_ Giver. Its one of a kind." Sir Perry corrected him, "And since you seem to be the only one left, you get to help me pack it." With this, he opened a drawer on his desk. The Doctor peered over his shoulder and was visibly depressed when he saw that the drawer was empty. Sir Perry chuckled. "You don't think I'd be so careless to leave something that dangerous in a drawer now do you?"

"Well I suppose that makes sense." The Doctor said still unsure where this was going. Sir Perry reached an arm under the opened drawer and there was a loud click as he ran his finger over a concealed latch. The Doctor jumped in surprise as the whoosh of escaping air filled the room. It was the sound of the air pressure equalizing when a door that had been closed for quite sometime opened, behind them. They turned and the Doctor let out an impressed whistle.

"Isn't she something?" Sir Perry asked him with a smug grin. He picked up a bag and a pair of rubber gloves and walked into the room.

"She's _something_ alright." The Doctor half agreed. Following Sir Perry into the room he pulled out his brainy specs and began to inspect the object in front of him.

It was small, hold in your hand size, but not small enough to put in your pocket (well not unless they were bigger on the inside, which the Doctor's were so he disregarded this measurement). It was bluish in color and completely round with a few buttons on the side in a line. The Doctor reached out to pick it up and examine it but Sir Perry grabbed his wrist stopping him.

"Don't touch it with your bare hands." He said releasing the Doctor's wrist. He put on the pair of gloves he had brought and then pointed to the large bag. "You just hold that open."

"Woah, now hold on for just a tick!" The Doctor stated, "Before I help you pack up anything like…that." He pointed at The Giver, "I want to know exactly and I mean _exactly_ what that is." Sir Perry didn't answer he instead made for the bag. The Doctor quickly grabbed it and held it behind his back.

"I don't have time!" He shouted at the Doctor.

"And I have all the time in the universe, so start talking!"

"Fine," He said with a sigh of defeat. "As I told you before it's called The Giver and its aptly named because in essence it gives you a gift; the greatest of gifts. It gives you whatever your heart desires most."

"It grants wishes?"

"No, not wishes. It gives you your deepest desire. The tiny selfish little want that you avoid mentioning that is also your greatest need. It's that reoccurring dream that you don't want to wake up from. It's what your subconscious is shouting for though you know it will never happen. Well, with this it can, but only once."

"What do you mean only once?" The Doctor asked trying to get his mind wrapped around this concept.

"Well after your single greatest wish is granted it don't do you any favors by granting the second greatest want. In fact, if you try again it deems you selfish and kills you."

"Oh! Well then. How does it know that it's the same person activating it?"

"Reads your DNA? Your fingerprint? I'm not sure but I'm no taking any chances, hence the rubber gloves."

"Ah, so you've already used it." The Doctor deduced, "And here I was thinking you were being noble and wearing the gloves so your desires wouldn't interrupt the course of history and interfere with the peoples' revolution."

"I'm the Doctor and I thought better of you. You've already used The Giver for your own gains. What was it then? Is that how you won the election?"

"Well you don't you think I won the popular vote now do you?"

"Well I did, yeah"

"Your such an idealist Doctor." He snorted and picked up The Giver with his gloved hands.

"At least I'm what I appear to be."

"So I had a little help in being elected it doesn't mean that I'm the bad guy."

A shot rang out. The Giver dropped to the floor, followed by Sir Perry.

"Tell it to the judge."

* * *

**Author notes: **No it wasn't the Doctor who shot him, shame on you if you're thinking that right now. Is if, after all he's the man "who never would"! Thanks for reading. =)


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter 4

The Doctor's head snapped around towards where the gunshot had come from. A tall, and frankly scary looking, man stood in the doorway holding a smoking gun.

"You shot him!" The Doctor stated in disbelief, "I know he wasn't exactly the most moral person but you didn't need to kill him!" The man turned the gun on the Doctor and he quickly shut up and raised his hands.

"Who are you?" The man asked.

"I could ask you the same question, and I would, if you weren't pointing a gun at me."

"You don't have the right-"

"Victor!?" A call came from somewhere behind the man and cut him off. He winced, so the Doctor deduced that this man must in fact be Victor.

"I'm in 'ere." Victor called back, "And I've gotta' prisoner." Footstep were heard and a few seconds later a scruffy looking young man appeared.

"Victor what are you doing?" He scolded after assessing the situation. "Put that gun down. Where did you even get that?" Victor dropped the gun to his side but continued to glare at the Doctor. The young man walked farther into the room and saw Sir Perry on the ground. "You killed him?!"

"He had it coming."

"Was hr even armed?" Victor remained silent. "I thought not."

"He was holding the Giver."

"He's holding a bag. You gunna' shoot him too?" The Doctor quickly dropped the bag to the ground. "Just go do inventory or something. And get rid of that gun."

Victor ran out the door and the man entered the room mumbling something under his breath about a society that "never would". It was only after he came closer that the Doctor noticed just in fact _how_ young he really was. He couldn't have been older than eighteen, twenty at the very most.

"Hello, I'm Thomas Ratitian, call me Tom, and you are?" Thomas introduced himself, and held a hand out to the Doctor.

"The Doctor." He replied slowly lowering his arms and shaking the offered hand suspiciously, half afraid that Victor would pop up again and shoot him for touching his leader.

"I'm sorry that you had to witness such a break in conduct."

"I've seen worse, and honestly I'm happily surprised to hear that the leader of a rebellion is a pacifist."

"It's not just me, Messaline has been nearly entirely pacifistic since our creation war."

"Well good for you."

"So, Doctor, tell me. Where do you hail from? Surely not from Messaline."

"Ahhh, no. I'm a bit of a wanderer."

"What brings you here? Odd time to take a vacation to the world capital."

"I was responding to a request for help."

"From Sir Perry?"

"I don't know. Didn't say." The Doctor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his psychic paper. He flipped it open and handed it over to Tom. He took it, read it, and then smiled.

"That was us." He told the Doctor. Now it was his turn to reach into his pocket and pull something out. He handed the Doctor back his psychic paper as well as the piece of folded paper he'd retrieved. The Doctor opened it. It read:

"The crimes of our leader against the people of Messaline have stood long enough without protest. It is times that we take a stand against his deceit and betrayal and fight to restore our world to its former glory. Your help is required. Please come join the revolution."

"We sent out tons of messages like that across Messaline. You must have picked up the signal and just latched on to that little bit."

"Hmm. Well what do you know. Funny ol' universe." The Doctor said pocketing the pamphlet and psychic paper. "So, now that I've gotten myself smack dab in the middle of it, why don't you tell me about this revolution."

**Notes: Sorry it's been so long updating this. Bet you didn't see that coming ey? Who's the bad guy** **and who's the good guy? Do you know? Does the Doctor? Aren't you dying to see what happens next? Don't you want to review?**


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter 5

"Let's see. Where to start?" Tom wondered out loud, "How about you tell me what you know."

"Well, Sir Perry said something about a crop failure." The Doctor answered, "Why don't you start there?"

"Okay, Messaline's chief export is the Zentle crop and it is widely cultivated all across the planet. We have had a few consecutive, well frankly, **bad** growing seasons. Our economy took a hit. Instead of letting the farmers, who are familiar with the crop, replant and replenish the stocks, he decided to actually do something for once. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about agriculture and paid off some scientists to create an entirely new _super_ fertilizer. Now, none of this was released to the public but I have my sources. The scientists told him it had a 50% chance of working to enhance the Zentle's durability, and a 50% chance of doing just the opposite. His advisors told him not to take the risk of enforcing its use. He ignored them. A week later it was mandatory to use the government issued fertilizer. Two weeks later, _all_ the Zentle crops on Messaline withered and died, leaving nothing but dirt."

"That explains the dust in the air. The soil is breaking up and blowing away. Messaline is becoming one giant desert."

"The fertilizer seeped into the ground water and made it's way into our pipe system."

"You're being poisoned. It must be even worse for the Hath; they need completely pure water to survive. I think."

"You're right. Now do you understand our reasons?"

"Yes, I understand. A corrupt government must not be tolerated. If you pull this off, yours will not be known as a rebellion, but a revolution! Hmm…I sounded a bit like George Washington there." The Doctor mused.

"Yes!" Tom said purposely avoiding asking who Washington was. "In which the old corrupt ways must fall to the new and righteous."

"Speaking of new. Aren't you a bit young to be the leader of all this revolution?"

"Father was one of his advisers who told him it was a bad idea. After the fertilizer project went south he fired them all." He spat out as he glared over at the still form of Sir Perry, "Plus, my brother made his living off the Zentle crop. I had ambition and I had reason."

"So you rebelled."

"And now I need to set things right." Tom told him walking towards the Giver purposely.

"Woah, Woah!" The Doctor said stepping in front of him and blocking his path. "Hold on there cowboy!"

"I do not understand. What is a cowboy?"

"Never mind. That's not important. What is important is that I'm not letting you anywhere near that thing!" He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at The Giver. His mouth was a set line that clearly said, 'You're not getting past this Timelord'. The look was lost on Tom.

"It's the fastest way to things right." He said trying to push past the Doctor. The Doctor pushed back and Tom fell into a table.

"It's also the fastest way to make things way worse."

"Don't you trust me?"

"I do Tom, I really do, but from what I've heard, The Giver, grants your deepest desire."

"That's correct, yes."

"Then how do you know what will happen when you activate it? Do _you_ know what your deepest desire is? Because I sure don't!"

"Please." Tom said, "It's the fastest way to clean up this mess that Sir Perry started."

"I don't care. No wait, I take that back. I do care. I think that you're going to be good for this planet. I really do, but I don't care about the time it takes. Everything has to done instantly a day. Everything's done in nanoseconds, when I was a boy you humans were so backwards you didn't know what a microchip was!" He paused realizing what he had just said, "Oh, Rassilon, I'm getting old."

"Aren't you at least the tiniest bit curious?" Tom asked in a reverent murmur, The Doctor glared at him; hard.

"No."

"Your deepest most secret desire. Don't you want to know? Don't you want it?"

"I don't even know what it is."

"I bet you do."

"I've done so many things, seen so many worlds, and lost so many people. I don't honest know what my deepest desire is and I don't to find out. No one should ever find out. Desires are meant to stay just that, a desire. When wishes start coming true you get people like Sir Perry."

"Yeah, but you're not like him."

"How would you know? You just met me."

"And you just met me, yet you judge my character. You think that I'm in this for personal gain, that my deepest desire is for myself, and not for my people."

"You may think you know that, but what if your deepest desire isn't what you thought it was? Could you resist using it to your advantage? It's like dangling a carrot in front of a starving rabbit." The Doctor was nearly shouting now and his glare mimicked that of a Dalek eyestalk, cold and unforgiving.

"You're scared." The Doctor blink in surprise, "You're scared that you're desire will be a bad one, a selfish one, one that goes against everything you're just said. But it won't be, because you're not like Sir Perry. You're like me."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means that you just want to do the right thing." Tom told him with a silent but implied plea to let him use The Giver, and to trust him to do what was right.

"I'm sorry Tom," The Doctor said finally, his mind made up, "But power like this isn't right. I have to destroy The Giver."

"No!" But the Doctor had already crossed the room and was reaching down for The Giver, "Wait!" Tom called out helplessly.

The Doctor picked up The Giver with his right hand and stood up facing Tom who was shaking his head with a smirk as if he knew a secret that the Doctor didn't, and he did.

"What?" The Doctor asked, startled by his sudden smugness.

"If you didn't want to find out your desire, then you shouldn't have picked it up with your bare hand." Tom answered. Seconds later, the room was filled with a loud crackling sound, like static electricity, or paper being crumpled into a ball in front of a microphone, or (and more accurately) like someone tearing a hole between two universes.

* * *

Author Note: Sorry it's been forever guys. Schoolwork. YUCK! I hope this chapter makes up for it!


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter 6**

Rose's thoughts were abruptly pulled out of the book she had been reading when a load crackling sound erupted from seemingly nowhere. With the mysterious noise came the sort of electric feel of static cling, as if something was pulling on her, and the excited feeling of butterflies in her stomach, that she always got before stepping out onto a new planet.

She quickly stood and tried to find the source of the sound. Her brief training at TORCHWOOD had taught her lesson number one: know your enemy. She smiled as her mind wandered to the Doctor in the Cabinet Room of 10 Downing Street, "Narrow it down!"

_Where have I heard that sound before?_ She wondered trying to rack her brain. Then it hit her. It was the sound of the walls between the universes breaking down. It was the sound of a Ghost Shift.

"Mickey!" She called out to her best mate who was over for a visit. The sound was growing louder and seemed to be centrally coming from the far side of the room.

"You bellowed?" Mickey quipped coming in behind her. "What the hell is that!?"

"Go tell Pete that the walls are breaking down again, in our living room no less, and tell Mum to get Tony and make sure he's safe. If a 1,000 Daleks come through that wall they're not getting their plungers on my brother."

"Eh, right," Mickey ran off again. Seconds after he had gone, the wall let out a loud crack, like lightning, and Rose's book slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.

* * *

The Doctor whipped around and found himself face to face with someone who had been haunting his dreams.

"Rose." Her names slipped from his lips as he took a halting step towards her. His body propelling itself towards her before his mind pulled him back to reality and stopped its movements. The Doctor whirled around to face Tom. "She can't be here! She literally _can't_ be here!"

"And yet, there she is." He said with a nod back towards Rose. The Doctor didn't turn back; his eyes pressed closed and his face scrunched in thought and disbelief.

"That can't be her. I mean really be her. Not even a matter manipulator could accomplish that! The reproductions would be so immense, so terrible."

"There are no repercussions other than the desired affect. I can assure you of that, although I am unsure as to how exactly it works. It's a gift. Take it."

"But, it goes against everything I believe! Everything I've ever learned is right! Then again, so does Jack. I really should go find him and apologize."

"Who is she?" Tom asked glancing at Rose over the Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor turned to a sight that nearly broke him. Rose had moved closer, as close as she could get before an invisible barrier stopped her. She pressed her forehead against it like it was made of glass. She was crying, but smiling at the same time. The Doctor thought she looked beautiful. Almost worth everything.

"She's Rose." He said proudly, "Rose Tyler. The most amazing person I've ever met." Rose smiled as she read his lips.

"Hello." She said; although the Doctor couldn't hear her voice, he could imagine it well enough.

"Hello." He replied, walking forward. He pressed his free hand to the invisible wall. She moved her hand to match his.

"No touch." She mouthed mimicking their last meeting. He gave her a bittersweet smile.

"Where is she?" Tom asked.

"Trapped in a parallel universe."

"Not so trapped anymore."

"But she is though, look." He tapped the barrier. He half expected it to sound like glass too, but it made no discernable sound.

"It's only a preview Doctor." Tom told him with a knowing smile.

"What? What does that mean?"

"The Giver, it always gives you the chance to turn back, to change your mind and stop your wish from coming true. You have to activate it to fulfill it completely. It always gives you a choice, but it's a powerful, and sometime terrible choice." _A bit like me_, The Doctor thought to himself.

"Really?" He asked instead, his eyes not wavering from where they held Rose's gaze.

"She can come back."

"But she can't."

"You can be together again."

"We can't."

"Let The Giver help you."

"It can't! I won't let it!"

"Then help yourself." The Doctor looked at Rose helplessly. She smiled at him and wiped at her tears. Behind her Pete, Mickey, and Jackie, holding a baby in her arms, came running into the room. They stopped in shock of the Doctor's appearance in their living room. Rose didn't glance behind her once.

"I love you." She mouthed.

"I can't." The Doctor said to both Tom and Rose, his hearts breaking. Rose smiled; she actually smiled, because she knew. She knew that the Doctor would put the safety of the universes before his own needs, or even hers. Unfortunately, Jackie figured it out too and was yelling at him (though he couldn't hear it and tank god for that), Rose, Pete, and even Mickey. The baby was crying.

"Shut up, Mum." Rose told her mum still looking at the Doctor. "Pete and Mickey know as well as I do that we can't go around breaking the walls of the universe whenever we feel like it without worrying about serious repercussions. If the Doctor has a way to close it, he should." At least, that's what the Doctor thought she said, but she mumbled a bit in the middle so she might have said:

"…We hand no wound breaking lown the well of the munivases ten ever me feel mike it without lorring about the reproductions." But the Doctor decided the later made no sense and vowed to practice lip reading as soon as he got back to the TARDIS.

Rose's glanced shifted over to The Giver that the Doctor held in a vice like grip. The Doctor made to put it down so he could press his other hand to hers.

"You let go and she disappears forever. No second chances with that thing." Tom warned him. The Doctor froze.

"No second chances." The Doctor repeated with a smirk, remembering his mantra from a Christmas morning a lifetime ago, or maybe it was just a year and a half ago. He shook his head, shaking away the memories. "I don't deserve second chances."

"Everyone deserves a chance to make things right." Tom said walking up to stand behind the Doctor. He placed his hand on the Doctor's shoulder and Rose looked up at him. She gave him a brilliant smile and the Doctor was once again on awe of Rose's infallible trust in others. The looked over at Tom, and Tom's smile vanished.

"I have to destroy it." The Doctor told him. Tom sighed and backed off, his hand slipping of the Doctor's shoulder.

"Do what you wish, I don't think anyone in _this_ universe could stop you." The Doctor looked back at Rose.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He told her. She chocked out a sob and smacked her hand silently against the solid air. The Doctor smushed his face up as close to her as he could get and she pressed her forehead to his, missing the feel of his hair brushing her skin. The Doctor pulled back after a few seconds and Rose followed. They stared at each other; memorizing the face that they could never forget.

"Do it." Rose told him with a nod as she rubbed away the last of her tears. The Doctor broke his stare to glance at the offending object in question. Rose had figured it out, and she knew what had to be done. She didn't question the Doctor's willingness to do it. She'd always been that brilliant even if she still didn't think so.

The Doctor pressed a kiss to the invisible wall between them and she blew him one back, before he too took a step back. Then after a deep, steadying breath, he raised the Giver high above his head to drop it to the floor and shatter it into pieces.

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**Author Note: Aren't I evil? Review and you'll get to know how it ends…or else I'll hold it ransom! =D**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter 7**

Tom closed his eyes shut in anticipation for the crash that would follow, but none came. Instead of the shattering sound of The Giver hitting the cold, hard, unforgiving floor, there was only the soft, barely audible plinking of tears hitting metal.

Tom opened his eyes in confusion and found that the Doctor hadn't moved from his previous position. Te only visible difference in his stance was that he appeared to be trembling _Perhaps he's come to his senses,_ he though smugly, _I knew he would, but it certainly took him long enough. _

"Doctor?" He asked cautiously.

"I can't." The Doctor replied without turning.

"Yes, so you've said, Doctor."

"No." His voice cracked a bit, "I mean, I can't loose her again." Rose, who had moved back to join her family, seeking their comfort, looked up at the Doctor, her eyes filled with confusion and hope.

"Doctor?" She questioned, echoing Tom's earlier sentiment. The Doctor didn't answer her, at least, not out loud. His tears had stopped falling but their trails were still visible on his freckled cheeks when he turned around and addressed Tom instead.

"How?" He asked, knowing that Tom would understand what he meant.

"On the side, there, by your pinkie finger, there are four buttons." The Doctor nodded, indicating that he had found the buttons. "Just push them down, one by one in order, either direction will work, and hold them in place until she's safely across."

Again, the Doctor nodded before turning back to face Rose. She had moved closer again and was worrying her lower lip nervously. Mickey was starring at a laptop. Probably monitoring the voids stability. Pete was hovering nervously and his focus kept switching between the computer, Rose, The Doctor, and Jackie. Jackie looked like she couldn't decide whether to be happy, distraught, or mad as hell.

"I love you. Rose repeated, letting the Doctor know that wasn't changing no matter what he did. She didn't know that the Doctor's mind was already made up and he didn't hesitate in bringing down each of his fingers one by one, pressing each little button down in turn, exactly as Tom had said. There was a pause during which everyone waited for something to happen.

"Did it work?" Tom asked even though he had never heard of The Giver not doing its job. Maybe he had done something wrong.

"One way to find out." The Doctor said walking closer and putting his hand out, palm facing out until it had reached a position it had been in many times, both today, and up against the white wall of Canary Warf. Rose did the same, not stopping until their palms pressed against each other's, Rose's smaller fingers barely reaching the top knuckle of the Doctor's long, thin ones. Then they moved farther. The Doctor curled his fingers and laced them with Rose's.

Rose let out an involuntary gasp at the sensation of feeling a felling that she thought impossible to feel ever again. The Doctor merely broke into a grin much wider than he had grinned in quite sometime. He began slowly pulling her hand closer to him through the barrier that still seemed to be blocking the sound. Some tiny part of the Doctor wanted to whip out his sonic screwdriver and scan the invisible impossibility, but this part was pushed quickly aside at the sight of Jackie making a beeline for him and Rose. Rose's head snapped around to her mum but Jackie wasn't looking at her daughter, she was starring down the Doctor.

"You take good care of my Rose," She ordered the Doctor with a pointed finger jab, "You hurt her, and parallel universes to hell, I will hunt you down!" The Doctor gulped nervously but nodded.

"I promise." He said, reaching up with his free hand and crossing both his hearts in turn. Satisfied, Jackie turned to Rose and gave her a one armed hug. It was one armed for Jackie because she was still holding a rather well behaved Tony, and it was one armed for Rose because there was no way that the Doctor was letting her hand go until she was safe in his arms. After being let go, Rose kissed her mum and Tony on the cheek and blew goodbye kisses to Pete and Mickey. She turned back to the Doctor and smiled.

"Okay?" He asked already pulling on her arm, already knowing the answer. He took a step back and she took one forwards so that she was completely out of Pete's world and back home. It was only then, after he knew she was safe and sound, that the Doctor swept her up into a hug. She slid her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his neck.

"Doctor." She mumbled happily, "Doctor!" She squealed as he picked her up and spun her around. He held her there for a moment swinging in the air, in a similar position to the hug they'd shared after being separated on Krop Tor, before setting her down on her feet. She almost collapsed out of pure happiness (although if asked she's blame it on void travel) but she eventually found her footing and smiled up at the Doctor.

"I though I'd never see you again, Rose Tyler." He whispered returning her smile, "let alone get one of your wonderful hugs." He enveloped her in his arms, one between her shoulder blades, his fingers tangling in her hair, the other was wrapped around her waist, trying to hold her ever closer while maintaining his grasp on The Giver. Rose slid her arms down from the Doctor's neck and fisted the lapels of his suit coat in an effort to stick her nose even farther into his chest and inhale his scent. It wasn't until the Doctor tucked Rose's blonde-haired head under his chin and opened his eyes that he realized Pete, Jackie, Mickey, and even Tony were staring at them. _Shouldn't they be gone now?_ The Doctor wondered, _they are most assuredly __**not**__ a part of my deepest wish, too domestic._

"Doctor," Tom said as if reading the Doctor's thoughts, "You have to finish properly." The Doctor and Rose reluctantly separated opting for a more functional handhold. Rose looked at her mum and brother; the Doctor looked at The Giver.

"How exactly do I do that?" He asked, ready to rip out the sonic screwdriver if necessary.

"Just take your fingers off the buttons. My guess is that the gap will just close up again."

"Oh right, right, okay then." The Doctor said with a nod. Rose was back facing her family and waving goodbye, when the Doctor wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Rose, I'm gunna close it now," He told her as he rested his chin on her shoulder to look at the now crying Jackie, "Last chance to change your mind."

"Never ever leaving you again." She informed him with a resolute shake of her head.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." The Doctor warned, "What did I tell you about never ever?"

"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss!" The Doctor chuckled into her hair and pressed a light kiss to the side of her neck. Rose had to bite her lip to contain her startled gasp. The Doctor had never kissed her before, unless a quick peck on the forehead in a dire situation counts, which to Rose it did, but not in an intimate way. She smiled back at him and he winked at her a promise that made her stomach flip.

"Bye mum! I love you." Rose called out even though her mother couldn't hear her.

"You too sweetheart." She managed through her tears. She simply gave the Doctor a pointed look. He rolled his eyes but gave her a smile and a wave, a silent thank you for giving him his Rose.

"Bye Pete. Bye Mickey." They both waved.

"Bye babe." Mickey said. The Doctor frowned. He squeezed Rose closer to him and Mickey laughed. The Doctor reluctantly let her go so he could disconnect his fingers from The Giver without dropping it and she went to say goodbye to Tony.

"Ready?" The Doctor asked Rose. She nodded and the Doctor let go. The Tyler family vanished and the Doctor immediately took* a hold on Rose's hand in comfort. She gave him a shaky smile and an 'I'm okay' nod.

"Doctor?" Tom interjected ruing the moment. "The Giver?"

"Ok right, yeah. Here you go." The Doctor said handing it over into his waiting, gloved hands.

"Thanks." He said dropping it carefully into a soft, zip-up box, not unlike a large square lunchbox.

"Thank you." The Doctor said honestly, "I have never been so glad to have my mind changed. I was wrong, completely wrong."

"Does this mean you trust me?"

"Can't think of anyone else I'd trust to turn this planet back around. Don't think I won't be back to check in on you though." He turned to Rose, "Let's go home."

Fin.

* * *

**Author Note: Sorry its been so long. I think this is the last chapter. But I might pick it up again and make an epilogue or even a sequel. So don't delete the story alert on this one yet. =) Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you had a good Christmas.**

**As for the "*" after the word "took": My cousin wanted to try his hand at Fanfiction. Here is his ending to my story starting where the * is:**

The Doctor immediately took the Super Soaker out from its hiding place and drenched everyone. Everyone got super upset and pulled out their Nickelodeon slime buckets and threw it all over. The Doctor was too fast however and bolted for the shelter. While safe, he took the opportunity to catch up on his reading. The Doctor was enjoying some Green Eggs and Ham when suddenly BAM!

**A bit of a cliffhanger that one. =)**


End file.
